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Monday, September 15, 2014

Amy's New Favorite Veggie Mix!

So it's September now....which for me means trying to drop a couple pounds. Unlike the rest of the world who seemingly are at their heaviest over the holidays, I peak in August, always have. Something about summer and all the festivities and vacations and the general increase in socializing has me out in the world indulging more than usual. So I have been busy reviewing my old recipes trying to find some easy solutions to drop the 8 pounds I've gained this year. Yup, eight. Up three pounds around my birthday, and then another 5 pounds during July & August. I accredit my previous weight loss success to staying calm, keeping my finger off the panic button is immensely helpful :) and simply focusing my energy into creating, cooking and enjoying healthy meals loaded with veggies and lean proteins, resting assured that this will do the trick!It's working, I've lost 3 of these pounds already over the last two weeks - yes drinking loads of water and eliminating breads, crackers and pastas whenever possible and loading up on all my favorite veggies creates a great jump start to quick weight loss.

(Side note: I have also supplemented my healthy eating with an increase in exercise too! Lifting weights and lots and lots of squats are my favs for building muscle, increasing metabolism and using my time efficiently - spending about 15 minutes a day exercising, 3-4 times a week, in addition to all the running around I do with my two young sons everyday!)

Amy's New Fav Veggie Mix: Onion, Peppers, Zucchini & Peas!

So what you see above is a pic of my new fav veggie mix. I make a big batch of it on Sunday and it lasts me for at least three meals, using from 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups for each meal. Each time I add a different sauce and a different lean protein to create a unique healthy and filling meal. Today I used the veggies with Trader Joe's Yellow Thai Curry Sauce topped with scrambled eggs = totally delicious and totally filling = win! Here is the super simple recipe:Amy's New Fav Veggie Mix Recipe:

2 tsp Canola Oil1 medium Onion, chopped (I used Red Onion this time)3 medium Zucchinis, diced1 Red Bell Pepper, diced1 Yellow Bell Pepper, diced1 Orange Bell Pepper, diced 1 cup Sweet Green Peas (frozen) Into a heated Dutch Oven add oil and onion and saute until soft. Then add Zucchini, cooking until it begins to brown. Add the Peppers, stirring to cook (you can add 1-2 tbsp of water at this point if you need). When the Veggies reach their desired doneness, you can throw in the Peas and cover and turn off heat. The Dutch Oven will hold its heat well and will do a good job of thawing the peas while stopping the other veggies from getting too mushy. Let the dish sit for 20 minutes or so, stir and it's ready to enjoy as a side dish or used to create a new dish.

Veggies heated with a little Yellow Thai Curry Sauce

Veggies in Yellow Thai Curry Sauce, topped with Scrambled Eggs

My lunch today was made by simply heating 1.5 cups of the Veggies with 1 heaping Tbsp of Trader Joe's Yellow Thai Curry Sauce and 1 Tbsp water mixed in, and then topping it all with 2 scrambled eggs = done!

I did something similar last night for dinner: Veggies + Red Thai Curry Sauce, topped with 1/2 Avocado, sliced; enjoyed with a glass of Red Wine and followed by a crisp Apple for dessert = Amy gets the delicious meal she desires and is comfortably satisfied and full!

There are loads of options here, just choose a sauce that you like: Red, Green or Yellow Curry Thai, all the different Indian sauces, BBQ (regular or Carolina Gold), Italian, Tex-Mex, Salad Dressings of all sorts, Teriyaki... this list is basically endless... And for lean proteins you can use Eggs, Beans, Nuts, a Baked Potato, Chicken, Fish of all sorts (Shrimp, Tuna, Salmon, Cod, Tilapia....) Again, there are so many options making this recipe an easy one to use over and over again once you fill your fridge up with the good stuff!

About Me

Over the last ten years I have lost over 40 pounds in a slow moving, but ongoing quest to be more healthy, more energized, and yes, reduce my size. Lots of friends noticed and asked me how I did it. This blog will attempt to provide some easy hands-on ideas, recipes, and tips to answer the question: “How have you lost so much weight?” This is not a diet! Just some ideas and recipes that have helped me shed some weight while making healthier food choices. Hopefully this blog will share information with other people who are like me (normal!) in hopes to help them live a longer, healthier, more energized, and possibly thinner, happier life. I have no real credentials. I am not a nutritionist, just a normal woman trying to live her life the best way she can!